Screen Options for Historic Homes

While the majority of wood window screens tend to be similar in design, the wood screen door has a greater degree of design variety to suit various architectural styles. The screen door also is subject to much more daily wear than the average window screen. Add Florida's high humidity and temperature fluctuations and you do have to spend some time thinking about screen doors if you want them to look appropriate and last for a reasonable amount of time.

Although basic wood screen doors are available at local home improvement stores, they are rarely suited to historic homes or fluctuations in climate. Many of the available screen doors are built of finger jointed, soft woods with narrow frames. The result is an oddly proportioned door that tends to sag and stick shortly after installation and rot within a season or two. They also are available only in stock sizes that often need to be modified in order to fit existing historic door openings.

A better, longer lasting solution is to install a custom built screen door that is designed to complement the architectural style of the home and built of rot resistant materials using durable joinery techniques. Screen door styles range from simple rectangular frames suited to vernacular homes to ornate ginger-breaded doors for Victorian-era homes. Several designs are available for Craftsman-influenced homes as well. Doors can also be built with solid lower panels as well, again designed to complement the architectural style of the home.

Materials such as cypress and dense pine are suited for wood screen doors due to their rot resistance and dimensional stability. Strong joints, such as mortise and tenon connections add to the strength and durability of screen doors as well. Several screening options are available for reproduction screen doors including fiberglass and aluminum in black, charcoal and silver finishes, with unfinished aluminum more closely resembling the galvanized screening used historically. Finished with period-appropriate hardware, a well designed and built wood screen door can add character to a historic home and serve as a welcome to pleasant weather and friends alike.

Replacing wood window screens on historic homes is generally a two-part project for a historic homeowner: first the windows that have been painted shut need to be made operable, then the screens have to be made (or repaired) and installed.

Releasing a stuck window is not rocket science, but it generally requires some muscle and patience. A web search for "windows painted shut" brings up countless websites with step-by-step instructions for loosening stuck windows, including HGTV and This Old House (they offer a video). Professional help can be called in if you are not particularly handy or have windows needing more extensive work such as needing to reattach the counter weights (although this is also within most homeowners skill level once they get past the intimidation factor).

Once the windows are made operable, repairing or building new screens is a simple carpentry project, but can be time consuming due to the quantity of windows on most historic homes. Window screens are usually simple wood frames (about 1-1/2 to 2" wide) either the full height of the window or half height for some single-hung windows. For casement windows that open outward, screens can be made that install on the building interior. Screening options include fiberglass and aluminum in black, charcoal and silver finishes. Of these, unfinished aluminum most closely resembles the galvanized screening used historically, but provides less visibility than darker screening options. Screen hardware consists of metal hangers that attach to the window frame or casing and a hook and eye installed at the base of the screen on the building interior. Traditionally painted black, forest green, or another dark accent color, authentic window screens enhance the look of a historic house.

Do you have a house with "bad" replacement windows (you know the ones I am talking about: bright white vinyl or cheap -looking aluminum) that you just can't afford to replace with more historically appropriate versions? One affordable solution is to install traditional wood window screens over the windows. By using charcoal or other dark color screening, the bright white of vinyl windows is muted behind the screen. Using a contrasting accent color also draws attention away from unattractive windows. Top the installation off with historically appropriate hangers and you'll be able to stand those ugly windows just a bit more!